Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Chapter 18: _Chastity Or Delusion

Celeste’s POV

*****

"That... Was an unexpected question." Silas chuckled nervously, faking a cough. "Celeste—"

"But I’m being very real about it." I pushed—literally. My fingers tensed, pressing too deeply on the gushing wound until he flinched.

"Argh—bloody... Are you even adding any healing balm to your fingers?" He placed a hand on my fingers, gently pushing them away. "Careful there."

His touch sent sparks through my veins. I gulped, trying not to lose myself. Yet my eyes wandered, from his gaping wound to his hazel eyes which now held something untamed.

Guilt.

"You’re trying to deviate. Aren’t you?" I pushed the question, controlling my breathing as I swiped more of the balm onto my fingers. Angry or not, I couldn’t stand seeing him wounded. "It’s fine, I guess. What did I expect?"

Silas breath shuddered, fingers curling on the desk. "Celeste... That’s not—"

"I saw the way you looked at me," I mumbled, regretting it the second it left my lips. But fuck it. "In the hallways close to my room. After... After Lysandra blew me through my door."

A few seconds passed quietly. I didn’t say anything more, plastering the balm on the centre part of the wound. Then I spread it out gently, careful not to press too hard.

This time he didn’t flinch. His breathing remained oddly steady—and that made my heart stutter more than when he shifted from the pain.

Had I pushed too far with my words?

Would—would he avoid me—

"I didn’t know about Luther and Lysandra until it was too late," Silas blurted, his tone almost regretful. I squinted, raising my head to meet his gaze. "Believe me. It took me hearing rumours after last night to realise they were sleeping together. I thought you and Lysandra had a scuffle—"

"You met me lying on a wall with a limp arm." I nearly spat, barely holding my rage through gritted teeth. "Really, how could you think—"

"Lysandra’s face was burned."

"Because the bitch fucking burnt herself!" That’s when I finally snapped, shutting the balm with a click. What I’d applied so far was enough. "You and Luther seem so close. You never spoke to me when I dated your brother, but I’ve always noticed how... Tight-knit, you are."

Silas paused, blinking a couple of times. His eyes lingered on my features before trailing my body—from my lips, to my neck and then my collarbone.

Heat pooled in my stomach. I tried pretending like I didn’t notice his fleeting stares but it was nigh impossible to "pretend". Not when I was basically drooling at his half-naked form before me.

"Calling us tight-knit is a stretch," Silas finally tore his eyes away from me, right hand hovering over his wound. "He’s capable of his own decisions and we have lives outside ourselves. But believe me when I say I would’ve absolutely scolded him if I knew about the cheating."

My lips pursed, throat bobbing.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So I smirked, flicking some of the balm from under my fingers. "At the end of the day, he’s the Alpha between you two. And the eldest."

He raised his brow, genuine curiosity flashing in his eyes. "So?"

"So," I moved, sitting to his left. Grabbing the first aid box, I brought out some bandages for the wound. "Why would he listen to a word you say, anyway? You’re the Beta, he’s the Alpha. It’s always been that way."

Just when I was about to begin attaching the bandages over his wound, he chuckled. It was a hearty sound, vibrating from his chest and making him hack back a cough.

Frowning, I stared at his face as he raised a finger.

"My apologies, love." He shook his head, placing his hand on his mouth. "It’s just... Even an Alpha King’s daughter like yourself should know Alphas aren’t always the most relevant in a pack."

There he goes pulling the Alpha king daughter card again...

He proceeded to grab the bandages off my hands, his fingers brushing against mine in a way that made my face flush.

"Luther might hold the seat of Alpha in our pack," he muttered, eyebrows twitching when he plastered the bandage over the wound. "But even our pack elders know who the brain is between us. All he has is the stronger wolf."

Hearing him badmouth his brother, even if unintentionally, brought a small smirk to my face. I couldn’t hold back a chuckle, not noticing when I leaned in closer to him.

Until I felt the increasing heat between our bodies.

I froze, laughter ceasing completely. Keeping my head lowered, I let my eyes get lost. From the now bandaged wound. To his toned abs—and his chest.

Call it chastity or delusion, but I’d somehow not taken a closer look at his chest until this second. And what I saw made my lips part.

"What’s..." I raised my right hand hesitantly, mesmerised by the mark on his left chest. Right over his heart was a tattoo inked in matte black.

It was a crescent moon, with a slender snake coiled around it. The open side of the crescent moon faced inward, toward his heart. The snake’s tail disappeared beneath the arc like it was unfinished.

Every line on the tattoo was clean. Deliberate. Too precise to be just aesthetic.

"... What’s this?" I asked absentmindedly, my fingers already hovering centimetres away from the tattoo.

But—

He grabbed my wrist, fingers clamping around me almost harshly. I gasped, blinking erratically as I brought my gaze back to his hazel orbs.

"Don’t." Was all he said, tone firm, final and cold.

Yet through that sudden, protective iciness—I saw something else. I felt something else.

Time lost its meaning, slowing down around us. His grip loosened on my wrist, but his other hand found my back. A simple push was all he needed to pull me close until I was in between his wide-open legs.

Our faces were mere inches away from each other now. My breath shook, eyes alternating between staring at his and then those thin lips. freewēbnoveℓ.com

My hands rested on his laps, dangerously close to his thighs. And to the strained heat pooling between them.

No words were uttered.

What lingered in the air between us now was a mutual understanding. One lit with desire, lust and a pull from the bond I could no longer ignore.

I leaned in first, eyelashes fluttering shut. A kiss was imminent.

Or so we thought—

—Until a knock on the door behind me made me freeze. I flinched, withdrawing my hands from his legs as if I’d just committed a grave sin.

Heat swelled behind my ears while Silas groaned. He rose to his feet, adjusting his pants so nonchalantly despite the monstrous imprint already making itself known.

Gods above. He was so—

"If you’re a Vein beast, there’s no one in here," Silas said, sounding far from humorous. He got to the door in seconds, taking out the locks before opening it.

When I saw the face behind the door... My fists clenched beside me.